Contrasting drivers of diversity in hosts and parasites across the tropical Andes

Abstract

Geographic turnover in community composition is created and maintained by eco-evolutionary forces that limit the ranges of species. One such force may be antagonistic interactions among hosts and parasites, but its general importance is unknown. Understanding the processes that underpin turnover requires distinguishing the contributions of key abiotic and biotic drivers over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Here, we address these challenges using flexible, nonlinear models to identify the factors that underlie richness (alpha diversity) and turnover (beta diversity) patterns of interacting host and parasite communities in a global biodiversity hot spot. We sampled 18 communities in the Peruvian Andes, encompassing ∼1,350 bird species and ∼400 hemosporidian parasite lineages, and spanning broad ranges of elevation, climate, primary productivity, and species richness. Turnover in both parasite and host communities was most strongly predicted by variation in precipitation, but secondary predictors differed between parasites and hosts, and between contemporary and phylogenetic timescales. Host communities shaped parasite diversity patterns, but there was little evidence for reciprocal effects. The results for parasite communities contradicted the prevailing view that biotic interactions filter communities at local scales while environmental filtering and dispersal barriers shape regional communities. Rather, subtle differences in precipitation had strong, fine-scale effects on parasite turnover while host–community effects only manifested at broad scales. We used these models to map bird and parasite turnover onto the ecological gradients of the Andean landscape, illustrating beta-diversity hot spots and their mechanistic underpinnings.

Host evolutionary history rather than avian functional traits drives the Plasmodium regional assembly in the Atlantic Forest

“…South America supports the highest diversity of avian malarial parasites, with high rates of diversification within tropical and subtropical biomes (Clark, 2018; Fecchio, Bell, et al, 2019). However, most studies are concentrated in the Amazon and tropical Andes (McNew et al, 2021; Svensson‐Coelho et al, 2013), and information from other biodiversity hotspots, such as the Atlantic Forest, is still poorly explored, especially the association between environment and Plasmodium– bird interactions from a macroecological perspective (Fecchio, Lima, et al, 2021a). Hence, disentangling the effect of host and environment in Plasmodium compound community in threatened biodiversity hotspots within South America can unveil new patterns of avian malaria assembly within this global nursery of Plasmodium diversity.…”

“…Furthermore, geography drives avian malaria compound community at continental scales, demonstrating a distance‐decay effect (Fecchio, Bell, et al, 2019). However, the effect of geographical distance is much weaker at regional scales (such as in the tropical Andes, McNew et al, 2021), indicating the role of geography in Plasmodium composition is still not well defined. Identifying the environmental features that affect Plasmodium ecology will help to explain how climate, landscape and geography shape Plasmodium compound community, which is particularly useful when considering the impacts of deforestation and climate change (Fendrich et al, 2020; Masson‐Delmotte et al, 2021).…”

“…South America supports the highest diversity of avian malarial parasites, with high rates of diversification within tropical and subtropical biomes (Clark, 2018;. However, most studies are concentrated in the Amazon and tropical Andes (McNew et al, 2021;Svensson-Coelho et al, 2013), and information from other biodiversity hotspots, such as the Atlantic Forest, is still poorly explored, especially the association between environment and Plasmodium-bird interactions from a macroecological perspective (Fecchio, Lima, et al, 2021a).…”

Haemosporidian infection does not alter aerobic performance in the Pink-sided Junco (Junco hyemalis mearnsi)

“…In contrast to avian populations that have witnessed declines following the novel introduction of haemosporidian vectors, like those of Hawaii, the effects of infection on host fitness are often more subtle in populations that have coevolved with haemosporidia for a long time (LaPointe et al 2012). What is more, a broad scale study of the relationship between haemosporidia diversity and avian diversity in the tropical Andes of South America suggests that haemosporidia do not influence avian species turnover, calling into question their effects on species' competitive capabilities and distributions (McNew et al 2021). In this context, it may not be surprising that we show that haemosporidian infection does not influence aerobic performance or energetics in a species for which haemosporidia are likely endemic.…”

Prevalência, diversidade e filogenia de hemosporídeos em aves de diferentes biomas

“…O parasitismo pode exercer alta influência tanto na dinâmica quanto na estrutura de difentes nichos e comunidades, assim como a competição ou a predação (HUDSON, 1998). Nas comunidades de aves, os efeitos negativos da presença de parasitas podem levar à diminuição do sucesso reprodutivo (MARZAL et al, 2005) e influenciar na susceptibilidade a outras doenças parasitárias, entre elas, a infecção por parasitas hemosporídeos (PHILIPS, 1990;PRIMACK;RODRIGUES, 2001) A grande maioria dos trabalhos já publicados foram realizados em regiões de clima temperado, com amostragem de avifauna residente e migrante (BAILLIE; BRUNTON, 2011;BARROW et al, 2021;CLARK et al;2014;ILLERA et al, 2017;PLATONOVA et al, 2021;SOARES;YOUNG;RICKLEFS, 2020).…”